More Living Space: Making Room for a Family

Lana Hawkins is here on the blog to share some ideas on creating more living space. Check out her great tips!

Almost every homeowner gets to a stage in life when they have to ask themselves ‘Should I buy a new house or expand our existing home?’ This question often pops up when the family’s growing, whether with a new baby or an elderly relative. Sure, getting a new house seems easier, but that will break your bank, demand a lot of research and require boring packing, repacking and settling in. So, why not make room for your growing family right on your property? Here’s what you can do to expand your living space and create a comfy home for all your family members.

Finish what you already have

If you really don’t want to go through expenses and fuss of building an addition, you can always avert your attention to the unfinished part of your home. Remodeling your attic, basement or a garage is a perfect way to add some extra space to your home for very little money. Why? Well, you already have your foundation and the roof which both cost a lot of dough!

Build out

But, if you already used up every room in your home, you have no other option than to build an addition. The most common type involves building out or simply put, adding living space at ground level. If you have a large yard, this is a great way to extend your home, because it causes minimal disturbance to the rest of the house. However, you’ll need to pour a new foundation and add a roof, you’ll lose property space and possibly even require expensive zoning permits and these are all quite costly.

Go up

On the other hand, if you don’t have space to increase the footprint of your home, you’ll have to go up. Building up means adding an entire second story or just building an extra room addition, it all depends on your requirements and budget. This type of addition is practical because you don’t really need a new foundation, but you might need to reinforce your old foundation and walls, so that they can carry the extra weight. Building up also requires a staircase, which can take up some of your precious living space! All in all, extending your home upwards is a bit faster and cheaper, especially if you opt for practical steel formworkmanufactured to your exact specifications and delivered to your site. This way, you’ll cut your work time and costs for up to 50% and end up with amazing results!

Granny flats are not only for grannies

Sometimes, neither building out nor building up is the right choice for you. However, you can still maximize your living space—you just have to think outside the box! Take a look at your backyard, especially those empty corners, and turn them into a practical, detached living space. Here you can go as big or small as you like, from prefabricated sheds to full-on tiny houses! This type of addition offers a lot of privacy and is perfect for teens and aging relatives who want to be independent.

Take it outside

If what you need is only a little extra space to reduce the crowd in the living room, you might consider building an outdoor room. This is definitely a fun and elegant way to increase your home’s footprint, but it’s also the cheapest. Design a room that fits your needs, find outdoor furniture and decoration that can take the weather and voila! You have an extra lounge perfect for lazy summer evenings, al fresco meals and family gatherings!

Don’t waste an inch

In order to fully maximize the living area, don’t waste an inch of your space! Some places might not be suitable for living, but they can certainly be used as built-in storage for toys or out-of-season clothing, as a tiny hideaway space for children or practical pet houses.

Moving houses is not your only option when you need some extra space in your home! Pick any of these additions and you’ll definitely enjoy more comfort and peace in your new and improved house.